Storage Wars

Top Auctioned Sports Memorabilia

From baseball cards to trophies to signed photos - sports memorabilia has proven time and time again on Storage Wars to have significant value.

While the stars sometimes sell their items at their private businesses or online, oftentimes valuable sports memorabilia is sold at auction houses.

Here we take a look at some of the most expensive sports items to ever be auctioned off:

Geoff Hurst's World Cup Winning Shirt​

Image source: dailymail.co.uk

English football star Geoff Hurst's second goal in the 1966 World Cup is deemed crucial in helping England win against West Germany. It's not surprising then that the football shirt he wore on his big day was auctioned off to a private bidder for £91,750 in 2000. However, it was then put on sale again in 2012 for a whopping £2.3 million.

Football Rules Book

Image source: bbcnews.co.uk

The oldest known football rules book was sold at Sotheby's London auction house for £881,250 in 2011. A pamphlet from 1857, it was sold by Sheffield FC to raise money for the club, which is also the world's oldest football club.

Babe Ruth's Bat

Image source: sports.yahoo.com

Considered to be the most valuable baseball bat in the world - Babe Ruth's baseball bat (which he hit the first home run at Yankee Stadium on opening day 18 April 1923) - was sold at a Sotheby's New York auction in 2004 for £654,694. It was purchased by an Illinois based auction house, MastroNet, Inc.

Alan Ball's World Cup Medal

Image source: bbcnews.co.uk

Alan Ball was the youngest member of England's victorious team in the 1966 World Cup, aged just 21, and set up the third goal in England's only World Cup win. In 2000, he auctioned off his World Cup medal at Christie's auction house. It sold for £164,800, for which he will have received around £140,000.

Jackie Robinson's Glove

Image source: auction.steinersports.com

Jackie Robinson was the first African American to play in the major leagues of American baseball, and plenty of his memorabilia has been sold for a pretty penny. For example, his baseball glove (believed to have been used in the 1955 and 1956 World Series) was sold at auction in 2013 for £258,213.

Honus Wagner's Baseball Card

Image source: thechive.com

It is considered the Holy Grail of baseball cards, Honus Wagner's rare T206 card sold at auction for a record breaking £1,450,000 in 2013 to an anonymous buyer. A card found in cigarette packs, it was pulled in the early 1900's upon Wagner's request (legend has it that he didn't want to encourage his child fans to smoke) and there are believed to be less than 60 surviving cards in existence today.

Barry Bonds' Home Run Ball

Image source: mtv.com

Baseball player Barry Bonds broke the home run record in 2007, and his 73rd home-run ball was won at auction to hip hop fashion designer Marc Ecko for $520,900. After winning the item, Marc decided to let fans decide its fate, allowing them to vote online whether the ball should be sent to the National Hall of Fame and Museum or launched into space. Fans chose the more sensible option, and the ball can now be viewed at the National Hall in Cooperstown, New York.

Oldest Surviving FA Cup

Image source: thesun.co.uk

The oldest surviving FA Cup (made in 1896) was sold at a Christie's auction in 2005 for £478,400 to an anonymous bidder. Originally one of four, the cup had been presented to winning teams between the years of 1896 and 1909.

Jules Rimet Trophy Replica

Image source: soccerballscollection.com

The Jules Rimet Trophy was the original prize awarded for winning the World Cup. A replica of the winning trophy was won at auction by FIFA in 1997 for £254,500. This was ten times the reserve price, causing speculation that perhaps the trophy was in fact the original. However, FIFA had the trophy analysed to prove that it was a replica.

Babe Ruth's Jersey

Image source: sports.yahoo.com

Appearing again on our list is Babe Ruth. Just about anything belonging to this baseball legend is worth big bucks, and what is believed to be his oldest surviving baseball jersey sold for £3,056,770 at an online auction in 2012.